Say what you will about Apple, but even Tim Cook wouldn’t price a smart television set at a cool $8,000. Then again, maybe he would.
That being said, Bang & Olufsen claims its BeoVision 11 is the company’s “most inclusive and ambitious” television set to date, with spectacular sound and best-in-class picture.
The unit also supports hybrid broadband TV (HbbTV) – a new Pan-European standard that will attempt to kick off a new era of interactivity with catch up TV, voting, gaming and wide range of personalized services.
In the meantime, users can choose between apps such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, or simply surf the web. Indeed, you can save bookmarks, enjoy simple page navigation with the remote, and use your iPad or Android tablet – and the BeoRemote app – to take advantage of QWERTY keyboards.
As expected, BeoVision 11 is DLNA enabled, which makes it simple to stream music from a smart phone and to watch a film stored on a NAS drive. Additional specs include wireless network 2.4 or 5 GHz, ethernet, two USB ports, three control outlets for control of up to six connected devices, six HDMI sockets, 360° automatic picture control, adaptive contrast and dedicated picture modes for film and gaming.
The connected TV is equipped with an all-new video engine that drives the 200Hz LED-based LCD screen, with glare polarizer, in either 2D or 3D. Meanwhile, the two-sided LED backlight features 1.5 D local dimming to significantly improve contrast in 2D viewing.
The BeoVision 11 is available in 40-, 46- and 55-inch configurations. Yes, the specs do sound pretty sweet indeed, but the starting price of £4,995 ($8,000) is certainly enough to give us pause. I don’t know about you, but an Android PC-on-a-stick with an approximate $100 price point seems like a more realistic choice for many, especially during less-than-stellar economic times.
